Ford Pintos were bizarre 1970s automobiles. Graphics and side panels replaced side glass. The inside is mad-plaid and ’70s-inspired. The 1970s were full of terrible decisions, but the passion for heavily customized vans was understandable. Even without shag carpeting and unicorns, many Instagrammers use the #vanlife hashtag to live in practical boxy automobiles. What if you were poor in 1978 and wanted to live in a van? Ford’s fun and affordable Pinto Cruising Wagon is perfect. Bring a Trailer. A Hearst Autos publication like Car and Driver sells this 1978 model. It’s a tangerine fever dream with porthole windows, odd pictures on the outside, and a Creamlike factory gone lousy interior. Bee Gees weigh 10 pounds for every five-pound bag. Ford’s Beetle rival was the Pinto. Lee Iacocca’s hectic development culminated in its 1970 release. Many 1970s compact automobiles were unsafe, like the early Pinto, which caught fire in wrecks. Ford sold approximately 200,000 Pintos annually in the late 1970s despite having a gas tank recall plan. Cheap and cheery Japanese subcompacts altered the market, but the base was old. Ford’s Pinto marketing team sought out youth interests. What’s rock? Vans? Smoking devil’s lettuce? Platforms and bell bottoms? We may take the van. The Cruising Wagon was a Pinto station wagon. The back metal panels had a bubble window. This 1978 model’s 2.3-liter, four-cylinder engine has 59,000 kilometres and 88 horsepower. Pintos can keep up with traffic due to their small weight and four-speed engine. Cruisers are fine. These unusual van wagons are rare since the Pinto is cheap. This survivor evokes 1970s Southern California seaside nights and sunny days. It contains a tape player instead of an eight-track, so you can easily construct a 1970s soundtrack for your summer trip. Act immediately. No-minimum sale ends August 2.
